For a watch manufacturer, it is advantageous to handle the smallest possible number of different components for economic reasons. This particularly concerns display mechanisms, which generally incorporate a wide variety of components.
These display components are generally guided on two structural elements: a plate, and a bar that ensures the pivoting of the wheel sets. For example, in the case of a centre-seconds wheel, currently there is always a central bar which provides the pivoting of the centre-seconds wheel beneath the centre pipe inside which the centre-seconds wheel pivots.
JP Patent No 2013 040942 in the name of ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse discloses a timepiece sub-assembly including a spacer for guiding a pivoting wheel set on a bottom plate with a shoulder cooperating with a housing therein, and a stop surface abutting against the bottom plate. It includes a drive means secured to the wheel set, which slides with respect to the spacer, with an axial shake, determined between two stop positions, one against the collar of the wheel set and a front end face of the spacer, and the other between a stop surface of the drive means and a rear end face of the spacer. This wheel set includes, on the other side of the collar relative to the drive means, a machined portion cooperating with a complementary machined portion comprised in a display element for securing the element to wheel set.
EP Patent Application No 3070538A1 in the name of NOGERAH SA discloses a display mechanism, for a timepiece movement, comprising a first display wheel set carrying a first retrograde display member and a retrograde display device comprising a counting wheel driven by a drive wheel set, a transmission wheel set cooperating, on the one hand, with the counting wheel set and an elastic return member, in order to be moved alternately in a first direction of travel, during a first operating phase, and in a second direction of travel, during a second operating phase, and on the other hand, with the first display wheel set, via a first toothed sector. The transmission wheel set comprises at least one additional toothed sector providing a kinematic connection with an additional display wheel set intended to carry an additional retrograde display member, such that the display members are synchronised.
US Patent Application No 2002/141292A1 in the name of Marco BETTELINI, ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse, discloses the structure of a timepiece movement, more particularly the structure of the hour wheel, wherein the pipe interior includes an annular bulge cooperating with an annular groove disposed on the external wall of the cannon-pinion pipe. Thus, the hour wheel is snapped onto the movement, with no need to provide an additional part for this purpose, and its toothed wheel cannot therefore be released from the motion work pinion when the movement is transported.
WO Patent No 2013/127686 in the name of ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse discloses a timepiece movement driving at least one output arbor for reception of a physical or temporal magnitude display indicator opposite and above at least one complementary indicator or a dial. This complementary indicator or dial is disposed on a local reference or bearing surface comprised locally in the movement around each output arbor of the movement, or being arranged on such a local reference or bearing surface. At least one such output arbor comprises, on its local reference or bearing surface side, a free end which is either set back from or flush with its local reference or bearing surface.
FR Patent Application 2518775A1 in the name of JUNGHANS discloses a timepiece mechanism comprising a printed circuit board for electronic control of the movement, and a support plate retaining the printed circuit board, for an electromechanical transducer driving a train for driving an under-dial work, inserted in a case with two shells. The under-dial work is placed, on the front shell, side in front of the support plate, while the gear train is secured, on the rear shell side, behind the support plate thereon, as far as the third wheel passing through the support plate with its pinion and penetrating the under-dial work. This semi-conductor wafer is secured to the support plate of substantially plane conformation, at a short distance therefrom, and is connected thereto by pins, which are welded to the semiconductor wafer plating intended for conducting strips and anchored as winding connection pins in a stator winding core, which is carried by a stator stack of the stepping motor, positioned in the its rotor aperture area, in an interlocked arrangement behind the support plate and resting flat thereon. The semiconductor wafer encompasses, in an arc, the area occupied in front of the support plate by the centre wheel (minute wheel) and the hour wheel of the under-dial work and carries, in front of the rear wall of the case, beside and/or underneath the gear wheels, the components of the electronic control assembly of the movement.